Jason and the Movienauts

Jason Sacks
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Film Reviews
  • Updated Weekly

Jason and his friends talk about old and new movies

  1. 2d ago

    It Don't Worry Us, Ep. 3 — Minutes 2:30–4: Welcome to Haven's Studio

    Twelve musicians. Four backup singers. One man in white rhinestones watching every one of them like a hawk. In episode 3 of It Don't Worry Us, Jason Sacks and Dan Story step into Haven Hamilton's dark, cramped recording studio. That's minutes 2:30 to 4:00 of Robert Altman's Nashville, where one elegant tracking shot tells you everything about the king of country music. Is "200 Years" a heartfelt bicentennial anthem or Altman's sharpest joke? How did a Laugh-In comedian become one of the film's most commanding presences? Plus: the unsung people who pushed Altman's boulder uphill. Hashtags #ItDontWorryUs #Nashville #RobertAltman #HenryGibson #HavenHamilton #Nashville1975 #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #ClassicFilm #70sCinema #CountryMusic #RichardBaskin #Altman Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome and recap: where we left the Hal Phillip Walker van1:34 – Altman's first classic tracking shot through Haven's studio5:16 – "200 Years": sincere patriotism or Altman poking fun?11:17 – Henry Gibson, from Laugh-In and The Long Goodbye to Haven Hamilton14:59 – Richard Baskin ("Frog"), Scott Bushnell and the editors behind the film

  2. 6d ago

    Theater Troupes and a Heist Gone Wrong: Early Shohei Imamura

    Jason Sacks and Eric Hoffman dig into Shohei Imamura's first and third films, both from 1958: Stolen Desire and Endless Desire. Made as Nikkatsu studio assignments with titles that have nothing to do with the movies, they're still unmistakably Imamura: energetic, earthy, darkly funny portraits of Japan's underclass. We compare Stolen Desire's chaotic traveling theater troupe to Floating Weeds by Imamura's old boss Yasujirō Ozu, debate whether studio interference softened its ending, and celebrate Endless Desire as a pulpy heist-gone-wrong caper in the spirit of The Ladykillers and The Killing. Plus: how the Japanese New Wave pushed Imamura toward Pigs and Battleships. #ShoheiImamura #JapaneseCinema #JapaneseNewWave #StolenDesire #EndlessDesire #Nikkatsu #Ozu #ClassicFilm #FilmPodcast #MoviePodcast #CriterionCollection #HeistMovies

  3. Sep 25

    IT DON'T WORRY US EPISODE 2: Walker, Talker, Sleeper

    In this second episode of It Don't Worry Us, Jason Sacks and Dan Story dig into the opening scene of Robert Altman's Nashville, where Hal Phillip Walker's campaign van pulls out and winds through the city. They unpack the Replacement Party's populist, folksy rhetoric against the backdrop of Watergate-era distrust and 1970s inflation, comparing Walker to Ross Perot and modern outsider candidates. The hosts also trace the van's route through Nashville's now-vanished lower Broadway district, marveling at Altman's background details — stray pedestrians, mismatched parked cars, a beeping Volkswagen — that give the film its documentary-like texture and lived-in realism.Timestamps: 00:00:28 – Introducing the scene: the Walker van as a recurring "character" throughout the film00:03:01 – The Replacement Party and its Watergate/Nixon-era political context00:12:06 – Walker's folksy, "dumbed-down" rhetorical style and the era's inflation anxieties00:19:00 – Frame-by-frame analysis of parked cars and Altman's background details00:25:02 – The van turns onto Broadway, touring Nashville's lost lower Broadway district

  4. Sep 18

    THE NASHVILLE MINUTE EPISODE 1 — K-TEL, CHAOS & ROBERT ALTMAN

    Announcing a new podcast from the people who brought you Jason and the Movienauts! Search for "It Don't Worry Us" in your podcast feeds! What happens when two movie obsessives decide that watching Nashville once—or even a dozen times—isn't enough? Jason Sacks and Dan Story begin their minute-by-minute journey through Robert Altman's sprawling 1975 masterpiece. Along the way, they dig into the battered Paramount logo, Altman's war with the studios, the bizarre opening credits, K-Tel records, 24 unforgettable characters, and the visual madness that launches the movie. Nashville contains multitudes—and this is just the first minute and a half. Come along for the rabbit hole. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Welcome to The Nashville Minute 03:00 — How We Discovered Nashville 06:25 — Why Nashville Still Feels So Current 09:40 — That Battered Paramount Logo & Altman's War With the Studios 15:56 — The Mystery Hidden in the Opening Credits 22:00 — K-Tel, Chaos & The Insane Opening

  5. Sep 15

    Douglas Sirk: Hollywood Glamour, Secret Tragedies & Imitation of Life

    Douglas Sirk's movies look like glossy Hollywood melodramas—but what happens when you start looking beneath the surface? Jason and Michelle dig into Interlude (1957) and Imitation of Life (1959), examining Sirk's complicated relationship with stars who weren't necessarily great actors, his use of mirrors and reflections, and the devastating social commentary hiding inside seemingly conventional stories. They explore Lana Turner's surprising depth, Juanita Moore's extraordinary performance, the painful realities of racial passing, and why Imitation of Life may be one of Sirk's greatest films. Plus: Hollywood star power, Oscar curses, and the real-life scandal surrounding Lana Turner. 00:00 — Two More Douglas Sirk ClassicsIntroducing Interlude and Imitation of Life and what makes Sirk's melodramas so fascinating. 05:00 — The American Woman in EuropeInterlude, June Allyson, Rossano Brazzi, and the familiar Hollywood fantasy of Americans finding themselves—and romance—in Europe. 15:00 — When Interlude Finally ClicksWhy the movie initially feels flat before unexpectedly revealing something much more interesting. 25:00 — Why Imitation of Life Is So PowerfulSirk's ability to use one family's story to evoke an entire society—and the extraordinary performances of Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner. 40:00 — Passing, Race & the Unspoken RulesThe painful conflict surrounding Sarah Jane and the film's remarkably frank exploration of racial identity. 54:00 — Lana Turner, Hollywood & the Tragedy Beneath the GlamourSirk's deceptive happy ending, Juanita Moore's career, and the real-life Lana Turner scandal that adds another fascinating layer to the film.

  6. Sep 8

    Obey, Consume, Conform: Rewatching John Carpenter's "They Live"

    In this episode of Jason The Movienauts, the John Carpenter team tackles one of Carpenter'ss most enduring films: They Live. Jason, Paul, and Shawn discuss why the movie’s deliberately cheap-looking B-movie aesthetic, Roddy Piper’s unlikely leading-man performance, and Carpenter’s straightforward filmmaking make it so effective. They explore Piper’s chemistry with Keith David, the film’s iconic alley fight, its bizarre alien designs, and the hidden meanings revealed by the famous sunglasses. The conversation then turns to the movie’s deeper themes: consumerism, Reagan-era politics, class inequality, propaganda, conformity, and the disturbing ways They Live continues to resonate decades later. #TheyLive #JohnCarpenter #RoddyPiper #KeithDavid #MoviePodcast #FilmPodcast #HorrorPodcast #80sMovies #ScienceFiction #CultMovies #CultCinema #MovieDiscussion #FilmDiscussion #HorrorMovies #SciFiMovies 00:00:00 — Why They Live Might Be Carpenter's Best00:13:00 — Roddy Piper: The Perfect Everyman00:29:00 — The Iconic Fight & What It Really Means00:42:00 — The Homeless Heroes & the Politics of They Live00:55:00 — Why They Live Feels More Relevant Than Ever01:15:00 — Final Ratings: Is They Live a 5-Star Movie?

  7. Sep 3

    Douglas Sirk's Melodramas of Desire: Written on the Wind & The Tarnished Angels

    In this episode of Jason and the Movienauts, Michelle and Jason dive into two beautifully similar Douglas Sirk melodramas: Written on the Wind and The Tarnished Angels. We talk about wealth, desire, obsession, and the damaged characters at the heart of both films—including the unforgettable performances of Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. What makes these characters so compelling—and why does Sirk turn their emotional lives up to eleven? Join us for a conversation about two films that reveal very different sides of the same filmmaker. Timestamps:00:00 — Introducing Two Douglas Sirk Melodramas 05:00 — Mitch, Kyle & the Hadley Family's Twisted Relationship 11:40 — Wealth, Privilege & Melodrama Turned Up to 11 18:00 — Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone & the Tragedy of Written on the Wind 27:00 — Mitch as the Outsider—and Sirk's Lonely Characters 34:40 — The Tarnished Angels: Desperation, Desire & Life on the Edge

  8. Aug 27

    Prince of Darkness & In the Mouth of Madness: Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy Pt. 2

    Jason Sacks, Paul McCoy, and Shawn Hill dig into the second two-thirds of John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy: Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness. With Shawn watching both films for the first time, the hosts unpack Carpenter's blend of theology, quantum physics, and cosmic horror in Prince of Darkness — from its "Jesus was an alien" mythology to its unsettling practical effects and claustrophobic, single-location setting. They then shift to In the Mouth of Madness, exploring its Lovecraftian roots, Sam Neill's descent into madness, Sutter Cane's reality-warping influence, and the film's eerily prescient commentary on fandom, mass media, and "normies" who can't handle hidden truths. The trio compares both films' practical effects, dissects Carpenter's recurring themes of isolation and inevitable doom, and closes with a look ahead at the director's 90s output. A must-listen for horror fans and Carpenter completists alike.Timestamps 00:00:01 – Intro: diving into the Apocalypse Trilogy's middle chapters, first impressions of Jameson Parker00:19:10 – Prince of Darkness mythology: the guardian sacrifice and the nature of evil at the church00:38:01 – The single-location, "haunted house" structure of Prince of Darkness and its practical effects00:54:18 – Transition into In the Mouth of Madness: Sutter Kane's reality-bending artwork and dimension-hopping horror01:16:11 – "Normies" and mass media: the film's commentary on audiences who can't handle deeper truths01:34:12 – Lovecraft's lasting influence, John Trent as ultimate fanboy, and wrapping toward Carpenter's 90s filmsHashtags #JohnCarpenter #PrinceOfDarkness #InTheMouthOfMadness #ApocalypseTrilogy #HorrorMoviePodcast #Lovecraftian #SamNeill #CosmicHorror #90sHorror #PracticalEffects #HorrorFilmAnalysis #CultClassics

See All (244)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Jason and his friends talk about old and new movies

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Sacks
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    244
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jason Sacks
  • Show Website
    Jason and the Movienauts

You Might Also Like